Caitlin Scott, Joe Thurber, Sara Safranek, Laura Dombroski, Evan Nicely, and Jake Ronza

Principles of Advertising

SMAD 256

Section 0002

Due: December 6, 2012

Mini-Marketing Campaign

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Table of Contents

Cover Letter………………………………………………………………………………. 4

Situation Analysis………………………………………………………………………… 5

Information About the Organization……………………………………………… 5

Issues of the Campaign…………………………………………………………… 5

What Other Organizations/Universities Are Doing………………………………. 6

Size and Trend of the Organization………………………………………………. 7

Target Audience…………………………………………………………………... 8

Past/Current Marketing, Advertising, and Communication Strategies…………… 8

Budget Involved…………………………………………………………………... 9

Profit/Benefits Received………………………………………………………….. 9

Number of Employees Engaged in Project……………………………………….. 10

SWOT Analysis…………………………………………………………………………... 10

Strengths…………………………………………………………………………... 10

Weaknesses……………………………………………………………………….. 10

Opportunities……………………………………………………………………… 11

Threats……………………………………………………………………………. 11

Primary Research…………………………………………………………………………. 11

Advertising Objectives……………………………………………………………. 11

Method of Primary Research and Rationale……………………………………… 12

Period of Data Collection and Description of Sample……………………………. 12

Analysis of Survey………………………………………………………………... 13

Target Audience…………………………………………………………………………... 13

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Target Audience for Campaign…………………………………………………… 15

Communication Objectives……………………………………………………………….. 15

Message and Media Strategy……..………………………………………………………. 16

Evaluation………………………………………………………………………………… 18

Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………. 18

Purpose……………………………………………………………………………. 18

Methods………………………………………………………………………….... 19

Audience…………………………………………………………………………... 20

Message…………………………………………………………………………… 20

Appendix….………………………………………………………………………………. 21

Works Cited……..………………………………………………………………………... 22

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Dear Leslie Eicher,

This is a proposal for the campaign to raise awareness of the concept of healthy

masculinity through various media vehicles on the James Madison University campus. The

campaign will target males attending the university with the ultimate goal of increasing

awareness of the term “healthy masculinity.” The objectives include increasing awareness on

campus by 25 percent; reducing the stigma and bias attached to this concept by 10 percent, and

increasing interest in attaining healthy masculinity by 15 percent. These percentages were

chosen specifically as realistic and achievable in accordance with the number of responses to a

student survey. The proposal is to implement posters throughout campus, have advertisements

run through The Breeze, and run an ad in the Grafton Stovall Theatre.

Sincerely:

Caitlin Scott, Joe Thurber, Evan Nicely, Sarah Safranek, Laura Dombroski, Jake Ronza

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Situation Analysis

Information about Organization

The Men’s Program is an all-male organization at James Madison University that strives

to challenge and reframe the concept of masculinity, more specifically, healthy masculinity. To

accomplish this, the group hosts different programs and presentations across campus educating

males. The group claims to “promote healthy and compassionate masculinity,” all the while

being open to different interpretations of what this means (Eicher, 2012). The term healthy

masculinity means the ability to recognize unhealthy aspects of masculinity (those features that

are harmful to the self and/or others), it replaces risky and violent masculine attitudes and

behaviors with empathetic behaviors and attitudes that benefit men and others, and it is based on

supporting gender equity and other forms of equity (McGann, 2012). The participants of The

Men’s Program yearn to make James Madison University a more accepting campus for men of

multiple identities by being role models and promoting growth in society (Eicher, 2012).

Issues of Campaign

There is an enormous lack of awareness throughout campus of the group, possibly due to

a lack of credibility, legitimacy, and no ties to a regional or national organization. The group is

very small and needs to grow in order to be considered truly legitimate. There needs to be a male

advisor to facilitate meetings, along with a clear ranking of group members (president, vice

president, etc.) The purpose of the group is not clear enough for people to understand the group

mission and concept, which could deter possible participants from looking for more information.

The name of the program is arbitrary and does not draw interest. There is a need for a catchy

slogan (Eicher, 2012). Not only is there a big lack of awareness of the program itself, but there is

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also an even bigger issue in that most people do not even know what healthy masculinity means

or what it means to the society. Having a program, where people do not even understand the

main concept or idea makes it nearly impossible for people to want to join simply because they

would have no idea what they are signing up for. When A group of James Madison University

students were polled on what first came to mind when they heard the term ‘healthy masculinity’

they responded with answers that were very typical of any college student in the United States.

Students gave answers like ‘sports,’ ‘muscles,’ ‘works out a lot’ and ‘aggressive’ (Eicher, 2012).

These are all typical answers that students at college campuses across the country would give

and this is one of the main problems with today’s society, which in turn provides The Men’s

Program with many obstacles (Eicher, 2012).

What Other Organizations/University’s Are Doing

There are similar programs at fifteen other schools including the Naval Academy,

University of Virginia, William & Mary, and the Citadel just to name a few. The program at

these schools is known as One in Four and is an organization that The Men’s Program was

formerly associated with before changing direction. One in Four is dedicated to the prevention of

rape, formerly the focus of the Men’s Program. One in Four adheres to three main goals: “to

help men understand to help women recover from rape, to increase the likelihood of bystander

invention in potentially high-risk situations, and to challenge men to change their own behaviors

and influence the behaviors of others” (J. Foubert, personal communication, October 27, 2012).

The One in Four national program implemented various ways to engage students in the program,

including on-site presentation of their programs, training for peer educators to present the

programs, workshops for faculty, student affairs staff, police student leaders, athletes, first year

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experience programs, and Orientation programs (J. Foubert, personal communication, October

27.2012). The programs are adapted for each campus according to what fits their needs the most

(J. Foubert, personal communication, October 27.2012). The programs that they implement

show outstanding results, such as “a decline in telling rape jokes, an increase in men's empathy

toward female survivors, and an increase in both bystander efficacy and willingness to intervene

in a sexual assault situation.” Some students involved with the program have said, "My attitude

is pretty much to avoid alcohol mixing with sex and One in Four definitely helped me commit to

that idea”(J. Foubert, personal communication, October 27.2012). Another student stated,

"Mostly as a result of the One in Four program I am very cautious about initiating any kind of

sexual activity while under the influence of alcohol"(J. Foubert, personal communication,

October 27, 2012).

Another program, Men of Strength, also promotes healthy masculinity, specifically with

the promotion of men’s mental and emotional health. Similar to the Men’s Program, the Men of

Strength’s mission is “to mobilize men to use their strength for creating cultures free from

violence, especially men’s violence against women” (In Men can stop rape, 2011).

Also similar to the Men’s Program is a group known as A Call to Men. Their vision is “to

shift social norms that define manhood in our culture. Their purpose is to influence change in

men’s behavior through re-education and training process that promotes healthy manhood”

through seminars, workshops, and other education programs (Lakefront Media).

Size and Trend of the Organization

The concept of having a program with the main focus being the idea of having healthy

masculinity is a new idea, and something that has not really been done at many other schools.

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However, The Men’s Program, which focuses somewhat on the idea that men can help stop rape,

is on campuses throughout the country. The Men’s Program has chapters at Carnegie Mellon

University, College of William and Mary, Connecticut College, Franklin and Marshall College,

Oklahoma State University, The Citadel, United States Naval Academy, University of North

Carolina at Wilmington, University of Pennsylvania, University of Redlands, University of

Virginia, Ursinus College, Western New England University, Washington and Lee University

and Wayne State University. These chapters all emphasize the idea of gender violence with

healthy masculinity being only a small part of their focus.

Target Audience

The target audience of this campaign is male college students and young male adults

between the ages of seventeen and twenty-three. The primary males that are targeted are those

that have experienced the negative effects of male stereotypes and unhealthy masculinity. This

program is targeted at those males who need a safe outlet to discuss social and emotional issue

that they are unable to discuss amongst peers (Eicher, 2012).

Past/Current Marketing, Advertising, and Communication Strategies

Past marketing and advertising strategies have been focused on The Men’s Program and

getting word out to gain members. However, there has never been a real focus on getting out

what the concept of healthy masculinity actually is. Before men join this group, they must first

know what it means to have a good sense of a healthy masculinity. The advertising done for this

program has been minimal. In the past group members have held programs promoting The Men’s

Program in dorms throughout campus. The group currently has a spot on the James Madison

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University website, but do not have one of their own (Libby). They have not had a true

marketing campaign in terms of promoting their group to their target audience, which consists of

male students. They did not have a table at student organization night and they have also missed

several key opportunities to get the word out due to lack of human resources (Eicher, 2012).

Budget Involved

The total budget is $5,000 that the group has already received through James Madison

University. There are possible fundraising events not only to raise money for the organization,

but also to promote awareness of it. Awareness can also be spread through an assortment of

philanthropies. The program has difficulties utilizing this five thousand dollar budget because of

their lack of members. The budget can allow the group to be very effective within their programs

if they were to gain a sufficient amount of members (Eicher, 2012).

Profits/Benefits Received

There is no profit to be gained, or to be received; however, various benefits can be gained

from raising the awareness of healthy masculinity, which includes a decrease in stereotyping

male students and bias in what is means to be masculine. This can benefit the entire James

Madison University campus in overall wellness awareness. The Men’s Program will also benefit

from spreading awareness of healthy masculinity because it is a concept that the organization

focuses on.

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Number of Employees engaged in Project

Lesley Eicher is the sole advisor of this program and the rest of the University Health

Center will be engaged in the project. The club, The Men’s Program, will be sponsoring the

campaign for healthy masculinity; however, the organization has no Student President or

Graduate Assistant (Libby).

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

The strengths of the concept of healthy masculinity are that it promotes the overall

wellness of males not only physically, but mentally as well (Eicher, 2012). The concept

promotes a positive message and calls for change from a social norm of the sometimes unhealthy

male stereotype.

Weaknesses

The weaknesses of the concept of healthy masculinity are that the current male stereotype

is strongly embedded into society and the fear of being scrutinized due to an individual

promotion of this concept could deter possible men interested (Eicher, 2012). The ideals that this

concept promote could also be seen as feminine by those who uphold the male stereotype

(Survey). The fact that the concept of healthy masculinity is relatively unknown and there is little

interest would also make the task of gaining an audience difficult (Eicher, 2012).

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Opportunities

The opportunities for the client are that the program that is promoting this concept of

healthy masculinity is the only one of its kind on the James Madison University campus. The

program also provides a safe environment for men to talk to each other about certain issues each

member may be facing (Eicher, 2012). It is also open to all James Madison University male

students regardless of race, religion, or orientation, which strives for acceptance and unity

(Eicher, 2012).

Threats

The threats for the client are the fact that it’s programs and concept are almost completely

unknown to the student and faculty population making it extremely difficult to promote their

cause (Eicher, 2012). Another issue is the large lack of interest of those who are informed of the

program and its concept of healthy masculinity (Survey).

Primary Research

Advertising Objectives

1) To increase awareness of the phrase healthy masculinity by students attending James

Madison University by 25% by August 30, 2013.

2) To decrease the stigma/bias of joining an organization promoting healthy masculinity by

students at James Madison University by 10% by August 30, 2013.

3) To increase interest in attaining healthy masculinity by students at James Madison University

by 15% by August 30, 2013.

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Method of Primary Research and Rationale

A survey is more effective for the topic of healthy masculinity because in a focus group,

students are inclined to lie about their views and opinion on the topic based on what their peers’

thoughts are. A focus group also has somewhat of a halo effect on students because they feel as

though they should adjust their views to make themselves appear to be prejudice-free. A survey

has anonymity and prompts students to answer more honestly than they might if students in a

focus group were hearing their answers. The same goes for a personal interview; students are less

inclined to lie than they are if their answers are anonymous than they would be if they were put

on the spot. The survey was effective in that students reported their honest opinions on the topic,

and a variety of responses were given to each question asked (See Appendix A).

Period of Data Collection and Description of Sample

The survey was given to students over the period of a week and in many different locations.

Some of the surveys were handed out in Taylor Down Under on James Madison University’s

campus, and others were given online on social media sites such as Facebook. This allowed for a

very diverse sample of people, which is shown through the responses given in the survey, as

multiple ethnicities were surveyed, including Caucasian, Asian, and African American

throughout the age group of eighteen to twenty-two. The quality that the sample of students

surveyed share includes that they are all single males attending James Madison University;

however, the sample of students differ in their perceptions of male masculinity, levels of interest

in regards to expressing personal feelings, social media tendencies, and news consumption

frequency.

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Analysis of Survey

According to the survey, 39% of students would join a group that promotes men’s

physical and mental health awareness. This shows that if the message of healthy masculinity is

advertised well, students may take an interest in joining The Men’s Program, which is an

organization promoting healthy masculinity. In addition, 54% of students were unaware of the

definition of healthy masculinity, and 60% had an interest in learning. These results also show

that once students would pay attention to advertising for healthy masculinity because they are

interested in the meaning. Only 19% had heard of The Men’s Program, which is likely to

increase once students become aware of healthy masculinity. Also, about half of the students

surveyed said they had felt pressured to hide an injury and/or their feelings for fear of being seen

as weak. For the final fourteen questions, students respond to demographic, behavioristic, and

geographic questions that, in addition to the previous questions, allow students to be segmented

in to various target audiences. This affects the campaign because it shows that out of the students

surveyed, most students either do not know what healthy masculinity is or they think they know,

but are unsure. Either way, the majority of students have an interest in learning what healthy

masculinity is which will aid the campaign in a positive way.

Target Audience

The first segment of the target audience is the “Jocks.” This segment consists of males

between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two. They are single in relation to marital status and are

James Madison University students. The races included in this segment are White, Asian, and

African American. The geographics include students attending James Madison University in

Harrisonburg, Virginia.

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The psychographics of the “Jocks” according to the survey include little to no interest in

joining a group that promotes men’s physical and mental health awareness, no interest in

learning about what healthy masculinity is, little to no interest in discussing their masculinity

with other men. The “Jocks” also did not feel out of place in gym class or in other athletic

settings, they would feel pressured to hide an injury for fear of being seen as weak, as well as

feeling pressured to hide their feelings for fear of being seen as weak. Finally, the “Jocks” find

themselves as people who fall within in a male stereotype of athletic, muscular, tough, alpha-

male, etc.

According to the survey, the “Jocks” would be categorized in the VALS system as

Believers and Survivors. These students would be categorized as believers because they are

conservative people with concrete beliefs based on traditional, established codes. They would

also be categorized as Survivors because they live narrowly focused lives, and are comfortable

with the familiar and believe the world is changing to quickly ("Strategic business insights,"

2012)

The second segment acquired from the survey is the “Hipsters.” The demographics that

make up the “Hipsters” are similar to the “Jocks” in that they are single males ranging in age

from eighteen to twenty-two, who attend James Madison University. The race of these males

includes White, Asian, and African American. The geographic region includes students attending

James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

According to the survey the psychographics include a moderate to strong interest in

joining a group that promotes men’s physical and mental health awareness relatively strong

interest in learning about healthy masculinity, a moderate interest in discussing your masculinity

with other men. The “Hipsters” also have felt out of place in gym class or other athletic settings,

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would not feel pressure to hide an injury for fear of being seen as weak, would not feel pressure

to hide feelings for fear of being seen as weak, and do not find themselves as people who fall

within in a male stereotype of athletic, muscular, tough, alpha-male, etc.

According to the survey, the “Hipsters” would be categorized in the VALS system as

Experiencers. They would be categorized as Experiencers because they are motivated by self-

expression and they seek variety and excitement, savoring the new, the offbeat, and the risky

("Strategic business insights," 2012).

Target Audience for Campaign

The audience that will be targeted in this campaign will be the “Hipsters” segment.

Although the demographics and geographic for each segment are the same, the psychographics

and VALS groups differentiate the two segments greatly showing that the “Hipsters” are far

more open to change than their “Jock” counterparts.

Communication Objectives

Advertising is extremely important for The Men’s Program to survive and grow into a

thriving organization within James Madison University. One of the biggest obstacles with this

program is that the main focus, the idea of a healthy masculinity, is one that is unknown amongst

most James Madison University students. This problem has been proven through primary

research, and has shown to be a critical issue with the program. If a student is unsure of what the

concept of healthy masculinity means they are much less likely to join an organization promoting

it. This is why it is very important for the program that advertising and marketing strategies be

implemented to spread awareness and knowledge of the definition of healthy masculinity. There

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is little to no awareness of not only healthy masculinity, but of The Men’s Program itself. The

fact that there are only two members in the entire program is a statement alone that there is very

little advertising and awareness among the James Madison University Community. A major

obstacle is that there really is no image or reputation of this program at James Madison

University. When asked if they had ever heard of The Men’s Program, nineteen out of one

hundred survey participants have never heard of it. The client wants to achieve knowledge of

both the concept of healthy masculinity as well as awareness of The Men’s Program itself among

the James Madison University community. The communication objectives are the same as the

advertising objectives and include:

1) To increase awareness of the phrase healthy masculinity by students attending James Madison

University by 25% by August 30, 2013.

2) To decrease the stigma/bias of joining an organization promoting healthy masculinity by

students at James Madison University by 10% by August 30, 2013.

3) To increase interest in attaining healthy masculinity by students at James Madison University

by 15% by August 30, 2013.

Message and Media Strategies

The traditional media will be advertisements through a Facebook page promoting healthy

masculinity. This was the highest voted channel of media via the Internet from the survey that

was conducted. This is viable option because it is completely free, and it fits the target audience.

The Facebook page ties into The Men’s Program, who will be sponsoring it, by including the

contact information of the advisor, as well as incorporating the organizations schedule and

photographs from events. Also, the Facebook page operates as a safe space for James Madison

17

University males to share what masculinity means to them. For this reason, the Facebook page

will help spread awareness of what the term healthy masculinity means (See Appendix B).

Advertising in The Breeze will be another form of media that will be used. A preprinted insert

will be placed in 6,000 issues of The Breeze that will cost $450. In order for the advertising to be

effective, the insert will run twice. These handouts will not be printed advertisements in the

paper but will be physical inserts that can be removed from the paper and really catch the eye of

the reader (See Appendix C). The survey indicated that a moderate to high amount of the target

audience reads this newspaper to get information, news, or for entertainment. For radio

advertising the most prominently listened to stations are hip/hop and rap stations. The local

station for Harrisonburg is Q101 or WQPO and is a top-40 radio station that has 118,000

listeners in its area. Their advertising department caters to individual organizations and

companies and would work closely with them to find the best option for The Men’s Program.

Nontraditional media that will be used includes an advertisement on a slide before the

movies that are played for students at Grafton-Stovall Theatre (See Appendix D). The cost of this

ad will be $200 for the semester and the ad will run at least 15 times before each show, with their

being 32 shows per week during the semester. In addition, the Athletic Department will be

contacted in order to attempt sponsorship of an athletic event, preferably men’s basketball that

promotes awareness of healthy masculinity. Finally, out of home media will include posters and

advertisements that will be hung up around campus such as UREC, the commons, libraries, and

the Student Wellness and Outreach Program, etc. after seeking approval of the Madison Union.

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Evaluation

The campaign objective is to raise awareness about what healthy masculinity is. A

slightly modified survey will be given to the student body post August 30th, 2013 to measure

healthy masculinity awareness, if there is a decrease in stigma or bias to attending The Men’s

Program, and to see if there was an increased number in attaining healthy masculinity at James

Madison University. Another survey will be given out to club members who attend the meetings

to discover how they learned about the program and why they were interested in joining. By

October 1st 2013 an evaluation can be made to see if there is any increase in The Men’s Program

attendance along with leadership positions. Intercept interviews will be conducted throughout

campus to see if students have gained knowledge of healthy masculinity. Finally, an evaluation

of the program’s Facebook page will be conducted, this will measure the amount of likes that

have been accumulated since it was created.

Executive Summary

Purpose

The most important aspect of the campaign is to spread awareness of the idea of healthy

masculinity. The way this will be accomplished is by creating and utilizing a variety of new

methods such as a poster, a Facebook page, and an advertisement that will be shown in Grafton-

Stovall Theatre. Each of these techniques will be aimed at the males of the James Madison

University’s campus in order to spread awareness.

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Methods

The campaign proposal includes a variety of ways to spread the concept of healthy

masculinity. The first way is by creating a Facebook page. Facebook has been the number one

social networking sight for the past few years, ("The ebusiness knowledgebase," 2012) which is

why it is crucial that this page be created. By updating the page weekly with the most recent

findings and information on healthy masculinity, James Madison University students can always

stay up to date with this concept. The page will also provide students with a place to share ways

that they are maintaining their own healthy masculinity, as well as their opinions and beliefs

about the topic. This is a simple and easy way to spread the word of the definition and offer ways

for students to get involved with this idea. This Facebook page will collect data on a daily basis

of how many people have liked the page. This feature then allows the program director to know

how many people have learned what it means to have healthy masculinity. A second

recommendation of how to spread the cause is by placing an informational advertisement in

Grafton-Stovall Theatre. The advertisement will be viewed around 64 times per week by a

variety of different types of people. This outlet is another simple and inexpensive way to easily

reach a large audience of students. The advertisement will provide viewers with ways to learn

more about healthy masculinity, for example it will provide The Men’s Program’s website, as

well as its Facebook page. The third way to spread awareness of healthy masculinity is by

creating an insert to put in The Breeze. These inserts will be viewed by a mass number of people

and will provide students with helpful information as well. The insert will also provide The

Men’s Program’s website as well as its Facebook page and, additionally, will include Leslie

Eicher’s contact information. By including this information on the insert in The Breeze, students

will have a variety of ways to obtain more information about healthy masculinity.

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The Audience

The campaign proposal is aimed at James Madison University students, with the intention

of focusing on males. The definition of a healthy masculinity needs to be known by both male

and females; however, it is most important that the idea become more popular and accepted

among the male population of James Madison University. By creating awareness of a healthy

masculinity the hope is that it will also create a campus wide acceptance of the concept as well as

remove the stigma that it is commonly associated with.

The Message

Healthy masculinity is defined as “the ability to recognize unhealthy aspects of

masculinity – those features that are harmful to the self and/or others. Healthy Masculinity

replaces risky and violent masculine attitudes and behaviors with empathetic behaviors and

attitudes that benefit men and others. It is based on supporting gender equity and other forms of

equity. It includes using social and emotional skills to positively challenge unhealthy masculine

attitudes and behaviors, within one’s self and in others” (Eicher, 2012). This is a definition that is

known by a select few at James Madison University which is why, in order for the concept to be

more widely accepted, it is important that the men of this campus become more familiar with the

definition of healthy masculinity.

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Appendix

Appendix A: 100 survey results

Appendix B: Facebook page

Appendix C: The Breeze insert

Appendix D: Grafton-Stovall Theatre advertisement

Appendix E: Charts and graphs

Appendix F: PowerPoint slides

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Works Cited

Doherty, F. (2011). James Madison University Statistical Study. Retrieved October 11, 2012,

from

http://www.jmu.edu/instresrch/statsum/2011_12/StatSum_all_tables_11-12_for_web.pdf

Eicher, L. (2012). University Health Center’s Student Wellness and Outreach (PowerPoint

slides). Retrieved from James Madison University

Lakefront Media, I. (n.d.). A call to men. [0]. Retrieved October 11, 2012, from

http://www.acalltomen.com/

Libby, A. (09/27/12). SWO Student Affiliates. In James Madison University. Retrieved October

11, 2012, from http://www.jmu.edu/healthctr/swo/studentgroups/

McGann, P. Starting to define healthy masculinity. Feminist.com. Retrieved October 1, 2012

from http://www.feminist.com/resources/artspeech/mensvoices23.html

(n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2012, from http://www.oneinfourusa.org

(2011) Our Mission and History. In Men can stop rape: creating cultures free from violence.

Retrieved October 11, 2012, from http://www.mencanstoprape.org/

The ebusiness knowledgebase . (2012, January 15). Retrieved from

http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/social-networking-websites